


The Journey of the Second - Prologue: Whispers

by minusxero



Series: The Journey of the Second [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Future, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, Post-Avatar: The Legend of Korra, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-03-31 22:25:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3995290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minusxero/pseuds/minusxero
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sixty-three years after Korra began her story in Republic City, the Avatar Cycle has begun anew. This is part one of a major undertaking of the story of the next Avatar after Korra. We will delve into the lives of the remaining members of the Krew and their descendants, along with a slew of original characters that will (realistically, I hope) paint a picture of the world we know and love post-Korra.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Make the Call

_Fire. Air. Water. Earth._

_Sixty-three years ago, my Great-Aunt Korra arrived in Republic City, eager to fulfill her duties to the world as the Avatar. In those first years, the world changed in ways nobody could have imagined. The paths to the Spirit World were opened anew. The Airbenders, on the brink of extinction for nearly two hundred years, returned. The Earth Kingdom gave rise to the Earth Nation. And in the time of relative peace that followed, technology accelerated at an astonishing rate._

_To say Avatar Korra’s time on this world was eventful is an understatement. But like sand in an hourglass, that time has come to an end. And so the cycle continues._

* * *

_This was_ , Lyssa thought to herself with a sad grimace, _a losing battle_.

The doctor with the pixie-cut black hair stood in the clean white hallway, clad in the spotless green-accented white uniform that signified residency at the hospital. She stared at the charts and scribbles of text that her neurologist had given her minutes ago - the test results were not at all in Lyssa or her patient’s favor. She sighed inwardly as nurses and doctors rushed to their next assignments, chattering to each other about medical cases or the cases of alcohol they’d be drinking at the end of their shifts. Lyssa could only think of the cot on the third floor awaiting her and how less comfortable it would feel after this visit. Finally willing herself to pull her eyes away from the file in her hand, Lyssa began her heavy walk towards her patient’s room.

At room 201A she stopped, hesitant to interrupt the relative peace behind the door. For a minute she put off entering the room, before finally knocking. “Mrs. Yuen?” she announced before grabbing the doorknob.

The brightly-lit room filled with flowers, stone figurines and balloons felt nearly happy in atmosphere. The older woman was propped up against the headboard of her bed, the wrinkles in her cheeks curving in with a smile. On the other side of the bed was the source of her joy, her… son. _Shit_ , Lyssa silently cursed. _This might get ugly_.

The man stood up immediately upon seeing the physician. “Dr. Beifong!” he said excitedly, walking around the bed towards Lyssa. His hand was extended out. “Nana and I were just talking about you.”

Numbly, the doctor took the young man’s hand and shook. A very strong grip, she noticed. _I guess it matches his mental stubbornness_ , a voice in Lyssa’s head commented snidely.

Obviously the expression on Dr. Beifong’s face spoke volumes, as Mr. Yuen’s smile subsided immediately. “You have news?” he asked.

Lyssa sighed. “Unfortunately yes, Jhon.” She glanced at the tough fighter of a woman in the hospital bed briefly before looking back at the son. “Could we step outside for a minute?”

“No,” Jhon’s eyes narrowed. “If you have bad news, you can say it here. Mother is very strong, and I’m willing to bet whatever you’ve found, she can fight it.”

A tiny cough stopped Lyssa from replying. It came from Mrs. Yuen. “I do apologize for my boy’s attitude,” the woman started. “But I will agree with him on one point. I’ve been around for many years my dear, and I think I can handle whatever you have to tell us.” The kind lady smiled again, shaking slightly.

A quick nod was the only indication Lyssa allowed herself to give. _Brace yourself_ , she chanted. “Your recovery from surgery has been remarkable, but I’m afraid your condition hasn’t improved. The tremors and muscle spasms have not decreased, and our top neurologist reports that they will only get worse as time passes.”

Lyssa thought back to the file in her hand and the near-incoherent scribble at the bottom of the report. It was less than kind about the prognosis than she had communicated. She hoped it wouldn’t have to get to that point, but knowing Jhon’s temperament…

“Well we could try again? I know you said the surgery was low percentage of success, but if we keep trying, eventually-”

“It is both unwise and EXTREMELY unsafe to undergo another procedure so soon after as invasive a one as your mother has partaken in,” Lyssa countered. “Neither I nor any doctor at this hospital would willingly approve of taking that action.”

Jhon’s eyes were barely slivers at this point. “So what’s your take? What are we able to do?”

“When it comes to the nerves, there really isn’t any alternative,” the doctor started. “But in regards to the um… _side-effects_ , I think it’s time we revisited some of the more drastic measures we discussed when we brought your-”

“No,” the man interrupted, his eyes now wide with fury. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Jhon, I assure you Dr. Lee is a more-than-capable-”

“I don’t give a monkey-marmot’s ASS how capable he is,” Jhon shot with clipped words, “we are NOT removing my mother’s bending!”

 _And there it goes_ , the voice in Lyssa’s mind taunted. “If there was another option, I would have suggested it a long time ago. But we need to-”

“You’re not bloodbending my mom’s bending away!” He was almost shouting now. “I can’t believe how stupid you are to suggest that. Your family has brought no less than three bloodbenders to justice for their stupid abilities and-”

“Since then the medical world has pushed and adopted it for more humane uses-”

“You’re handicapping my mother!”

Lyssa’s calm was slipping. “We want to ensure the safety of both your mother and-”

“She isn’t some enemy of the state. That was just a one time thing, an accident.” Jhon was inching closer to Lyssa, almost threatening in nature. She tried to hold her ground but found herself stepping back.

Her voice slightly raised, Lyssa started, “And the accidents will only increase in frequency and magnitude if we do not take preventative-”

_“Dammit Dr. Beifong, if you let a bloodbender get within 5 feet of my mother I’ll-”_

The stone figurines around the room suddenly broke apart with a loud crunch, ejecting tiny rocks around the room. One sizable chunk flew into the back of Jhon’s head. He instinctively grabbed at his head with a cry, and turned to look at his mother, who was smiling sadly.

“Jhon,” she said quietly, “I think that we should follow through with what Dr. Beifong is advising us.”

Jhon’s posture very noticeably tightened. “No mom, never. Your earthbending is so important to you. And you didn’t have to throw rocks at me just to catch my attention.”

The mother stared at her son, tears forming in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to break those sculptures,” she muttered.

The man slumped in defeat. After a minute, he turned back to the doctor with a bleak expression. “We’ll do it,” he sighed.

Lyssa gave another small nod. “I will let Dr. Lee know you approve.” She glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall and furrowed her brows. “The next full moon is in a week and a half. I’ll be back with all the paperwork that you’ll need to fill out.”

The doctor bowed respectfully towards the Yuens and silently exited the room. Before closing the door, she took one last glance at the mother and son. Jhon was back in the chair beside Mrs. Yuen, his head resting on her shoulder as he sobbed quietly. Cases like this were always tough, especially considering how much the family depended on their bending to make a living.

It was days like this that made being a doctor feel like the worst job in the world.

* * *

Home was a sparsely furnished hospital room with a bed and office desk. Books lay scattered on the bed, and Lyssa sat hunched over notes and paperwork with only a lamp lighting the room. _If they had told us how much paperwork we'd have to fill out when we began our careers_ , thought the woman, _I would've reconsidered becoming a dancer instead_.

Between the scribbling of her pen and the rustling of papers, Beifong did not hear the door to her room open and close quietly behind her. So she was slightly surprised when she felt a pair of strong hands begin to massage between her shoulder blades. She lightly moaned in appreciation and reached a hand up and behind her, finding a lightly stumbled face with her fingertips.

"You know," Lyssa sighed warmly with closed eyes, "you missed your calling as a masseuse."

There was a chuckle in response, and those hands removed themselves from her upper back to wrap around her in an embrace.

"And for someone with such an innate knowledge of the human body, you're doing a great job purposefully allowing yours to degrade."

"You just want me to wear your present don't you Mer? " Lyssa grinned.

Merin tutted from behind her. "You need those reading glasses if you're going to be doing paperwork at 2 in the morning," he explained.

 _Shit_ , Lyssa cursed silently. "It's already 2?!" she exclaimed. After a second, the information fully processed in her mind. "Aren't you late for your shift?"

Merin kissed her on the cheek. "I'm technically still 'commuting', oh Senior Resident. I just came in to check on you."

Lyssa kissed her boyfriend's cheek back. "How'd you know I'd be up?"

She felt the mood sober considerably. "I heard about Mrs. Yuen, and I've known you longer than I've known myself," Merin explained. "I just knew."

The woman turned to fully look at Merin at that comment. The Water Tribesman was in his scrubs, his unruly brown hair tied back into a ponytail. His dark blue eyes were focused on her with concern, and Lyssa felt her heart melt all over again. "Yeah," she confirmed. "I'm finishing up the forms for a 3B-R-O."

Merin nodded. "Lee told me. He caught me on the way up, he says thanks for the recommendation."

"He's an excellent doctor," Lyssa stated. "If people weren't so biased against his procedures, we'd be living in a better world." She gave Merin another kiss, this time on the lips.

"Now get going," she urged her boyfriend with a playful shove. "I'm sure you've got a lot of work ahead of you."

The beep of Merin's pager confirmed the comment. He took a glance and grimaced. "Yeah," he muttered sadly. "Satomobile collision victim on 1." He rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "I'll see you when I'm done."

"Love you," Lyssa murmured.

A squeeze of the shoulder. "Me too," he replied, and left the room, his hand (unknowingly to Lyssa) fidgeting at a small box in his coat pocket.

Lyssa watched the man of her life leave the room and stared blankly at the door for an extended moment, before the phone on her desk began ringing. _Oh, the joy of being a resident. I should've got some sleep while I still had a chance._

She picked up the phone. "Omashu General, this is Dr. Beifong."

"Peace be to the tender of the garden," the voice on the other end intoned.

Lyssa tensed. "For only then will the white lotus bloom," she responded.

"We need birth records of all Earth Nation descendants born within the past two hours, and any born in the next day or so."

The blood drained from her face as Lyssa's eyes started welling up. "Are you saying..."

"Yes. We need the birth records. Someone will be by every two hours for the information."

"I'm so sor-" an audible click informed Lyssa that the conversation was over. With a shaky hand, she placed the phone back onto the rung. _Korra_ , she thought, before quietly crying for the second time that day.

After a time of grieving, Lyssa held back a sniffle. The birth records, she reminded herself. She had a more important task to complete now. There was no time for emotion. There were bigger dragonkoi to fry. The woman stood up with conviction and grabbed her coat from the coat hanger by the door. She shrugged it on and with a quick once over in the mirror, stepped out into the bright white of the hospital hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for joining me on this weekly adventure! I had this idea while on a writer's block with my other fic, "A Funny Thing Happened at the Sato House". Hopefully the drastic change in tone doesn't throw you off and maybe the mental juice from this series will inspire writing in the other, and vice versa.
> 
> Anyways, here's the next chapter title: Compromised.


	2. Compromised

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pieces are already in motion.

** Two weeks later. **

_ “And in breaking news, we have been informed that Avatar Korra, the spiritual bridge between the physical world and the spirit world, has passed this afternoon. She is survived by-” _

San switched off the television with a grunt of disgust. “Load of monkey-bull that is,” he muttered.

“Whadja say chief?” asked the man with the tanktop and police slacks across the desk. His feet were propped up and he was eating a skewer of some sort of lizard. “Din’ catch ya.”

The RCPD Police Chief ran his hand over his head. An old habit, from a life before balding. Those were the days. These days consisted of sitting in an office, pushing pencils and delegating all the fun to the younglings. Like Yun here. San took a good look at him. A firebender by descent, with an aptitude for chi-blocking. An almost rebellious and unruly spiked mane with unrealistically long bangs (to San’s 49-year-old mind) framed his thin face. His eyes were an almost disarming shade of brown that bordered on maroon. He was stubborn but smart, with a dry sense of humor. The chief had an idea of why he had grown attached to the kid, but would never be caught admitting to it.

“This announcement is just going to cause chaos,” San clarified. “Think of all the UEN citizens claiming to have given birth to the new Avatar. Hospitals in Ba Sing Se are probably crowded with paparazzi right now.”  _Note to self_ , San thought.  _Check up on Lyssa. See how she’s holding up in Omashu_.  “Idiotboxes’ll trying to get the first picture of the spiritual leader of the world. Complete breach in privacy. It’s sickening.”

Yun shook his head ruefully, one of his bangs, annoyingly swaying across his face. The young man brushed it aside. “Sometimes it feels like technology is moving too fast for our morals.”

The chief nodded. “No kidding. One minute we’re all excited about a Nuktuk reboot and the next we have fifteen opinions on what kind of car the Fire Lord drives.” He sighed and stood up, pacing.

The young detective was still ripping at his skewer, although he at least had the decent to take his feet off the desk. He chewed thoughtfully before saying, “And I thought we had it bad here.”

San turned sharply towards the detective, eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about?” San asked. “What’s going on?”

The detective raised an eyebrow, a grin barely concealed from his face. “So I take it you  _didn’t_  read the reports I sent you a week ago.”

The chief reddened slightly. “You know how much I hate paperwork,” he grumbled. “Just give me the gist.”

“Kidnappings,” the detective replied simply. “We’ve had four cases of break-ins and abductions come up within a two week timeframe. Two of them were foiled before anything bad could happen, but the other two are still at large.”

 _Two weeks. That means…_  that brought San to complete attention. “And why didn’t you tell me this earlier?!” he barked.

“Sir, I gave you the reports-” Yun was interrupted by the inconceivably loud shuffle of papers.

“Yun,” San said, eyes scanning the documents with a fury, “I need you to bring me everything you have on this. Witnesses, anyone we have in custody, whatever.”

“We don’t have much aside from-” stammered the detective.

“NOW, Yun,” the chief ordered, not looking up from his papers. He heard the door close to the office before audibly exhaling.

 _This is what happens when you sit on your ass all day_ , San thought to himself.  _You get lazy. Incompetent. Out of touch. Two weeks ago, it could just be a coincidence, right?  Do the victims have anything in common? No common friends or occupations but… the backgrounds on each of the families… Earthbender, UEN citizen… shit. Shit shit  **shit**._

He hated to admit it, but Yun probably would’ve put the pieces all together a lot sooner than San had. The only thing holding him back was the missing piece. Or the knowledge that he was putting together a puzzle at all. And sometimes, that crucial piece was all you needed.

The missing piece of the puzzle:  _Korra passed away 2 weeks ago, not this afternoon._

San bent some water out of his mug and froze it into a key, the details of which only he knew to shape. With it he unlocked the bottom-left drawer at his desk and pulled out a hefty unmarked black book. He flipped to a certain page, found the number he was looking for, and dialed it into his personal phone. The device began ringing and picked up shortly.

_ “Ba Sing Se Lower Ring, Senator Hiro speaking.” _

“Hiro, it’s San. We have an emergency,” the chief started.

There was a slight pause.

 _“You didn’t say the code,”_  Hiro responded.

“For crying out loud, Hiro, it’s ME. Shut up and listen. You’ve been getting a lot of break-ins in your jurisdiction, correct?”

A pause on the other side of the line permeated for nearly a minute. _“Yes,”_  Hiro slowly replied.  _“It is pretty odd, but it’s nothing we’re not able to han-”_

“When did this start?” the RCPD chief asked. “I bet it was when Republic City started getting hit with them. Two weeks ago sound familiar?”

_ “Yes I mean… you don’t think…” _

“I checked the records,” San commented glumly. “All of our cases are against Earthbenders or UEN citizens.”

Hiro’s breathing started to sound erratic.  _“Fuck. Are you saying that we… that…”_

San nodded, though he knew Hiro couldn’t see, and stared at the blank TV.

“We have a leak.”

Hiro cursed under his breath.  _“The White Lotus stationed here have already been getting into contact with parents, safehouses are in place-”_

“Get tabs on all of them NOW. I’m going to get a word out to everyone we can trust.”

 _“Who CAN we trust, San?”_  Hiro sounded almost in panic.  _“We vet the White Lotus under the strictest-”_

“Family,” San interrupted. “We contact the Family and start setting up safehouses. Sanctuary, the Academy, the Shop… any place easily defensible but habitable.”

 _So when you say Family, you’re meaning... “_  Hiro trailed off.  _“You’re contacting her too?”_

San scoffed. “Yeah I am. I’m calling her FIRST.”

There was a low whistle from the other end of the line.  _“You’re taking this seriously.”_

“It’s the Avatar, ‘Ro. We can’t take any chances.”

A click of acknowledgement.  _“I’ll get in touch with Dina, see about getting Sanctuary prepared for new guests. Should be able to have the walls up in the next 48 hours.”_

“Roger that. Thanks, Hiro.” San hung up the phone and sighed. This next part would not be fun in the slightest.

San picked up the phone again, and dialed a number he had etched into his mind for years. While it rang, he took several deep breaths which immediately left him when the line picked up.

_ “Future Industries, this is Jaina. How can I help you?” _

He nearly hung up right there. “Hey Jaybird.” He gulped. “It’s dad. Is your mom available?”

 _“Oh,”_  the woman on the other line responded.  _“Yes, of course, I’ll transfer you over to her Da- I mean, gimme a moment San.”_

There were a few minutes of light hold music. San kept replaying the exchange with his daughter in his head in the meantime. An older woman’s voice came through the receiving end of the phone after several minutes (a period of time which was probably deliberate in some way).

_ “Yasuko Sato speaking. Hello San.” _

“'Suko,” San replied calmly, though his stomach is flipping back and forth like a dancer. “We’ve got a problem.”

 _“We?”_  Yasuko sounded skeptical.  _“Not you?”_

“Trust me, this is something you’re gonna need to hear.”

* * *

Nora got the call at 6:00PM, during her meditation. She muttered a few choice words on spiritual sanctity but answered regardless.

_ “Nora. Lyssa. Take families to the Academy. Tell no one. White Lotus compromised. Get to the tram ASAP.” _

Nora exhaled softly. The idea of the White Lotus turning on her seemed farfetched, but Lyssa was trustworthy. Family, even. Nora knew she had to take the message at face value. So she rose from her sitting position and walked further into the safehouse.

The hallway opened up to an expansive living area, converted from a warehouse. Three couples were seated on various items of furniture in the room, talking amongst each other and laughing while playing with their newborns. The White Lotus guard, Dao, was happily playing along, marching a small toy doll across one of the baby’s line of sight with cooing noises. His long brown and gray-speckled hair was inexplicably tied into pigtails with bright green bows, though he did not seem to mind.

Nora watched the young group interact for a bit, before coughing to grab their attention. They all stopped and turned towards the noise. The families all brightened in recognition as the White Lotus guard made his way across the room.

“Nora!” one of the women, a bouncy woman named Noriko, exclaimed. “How’s everything going?”

Dao’s face was much more apprehensive. He had worked with Nora for nearly a decade now and could recognize her tells. “Something wrong?”

The woman nodded quickly and turned to the families. “We have orders to move to another safehouse. Word is the White Lotus want all of you safe and together in one place.”

Dao bit his lip. “Where are we going?”

 _Is he curious? Is he probing for information? Can I trust him?_  Nora found herself reminiscing of the long nights of patrol and conflict resolution that she and Dao had endured together. The camaraderie. The offtime stories and inside jokes... Nora calmed the stirring in her chest and took a breath. If she couldn’t trust him…

“The Academy,” Nora replied, walking past Dao and grabbing at bags and boxes owned by the couples. “We gotta pack up and out as soon as possible. The next tram out of Omashu leaves in half an hour.”

“You heard the lady, get moving!” Dao announced, as he circled around the edges of the room, feeling the walls with his ungloved hand.

As the three families started gathering their belongings, Nora found herself by Dao’s side. “What are you doing?” she asked.

Dao took a breath. “These old warehouses used to have maintenance tunnels running under the city,” he explained, tapping a section of the wall tentatively. He shook his head and moved forward. “If we’re going to be on the run, I’d rather do it underground than with the sky above our heads.”

Nora’s heart went cold. “Why would you think we’re on the run?”  _He knows. Fuck, he knows._

A smirk tugged at the corner of Dao’s mouth as he checked the latest section of warehouse wall. “Jinny, you’re so predictable. It’s 6:00. You would only be up and around during your meditation time during an emergency. And you’re not pissed about missing meditation, which means it’s an ACTUAL emergency.”

Nora felt heat rise to her cheeks. “I haven’t heard of these maintenance tunnels before," she said, trying to change the subject. "What if they aren’t there anymore?”

“Oh they’re still there,” Dao replied. “You wouldn’t know, having only been in Omashu for work. I was born here, remember?” The White Lotus guard stopped and frowned. His hand lowered, and he took another tentative step forward, before stepping back. He jumped up a few times and when he ceased the motion, he had a grin on his face.

“There you are,” he said, as he gathered himself into a low squat, hands rising up in an arcing motion. As he exhaled, he pushed his palms towards the floor and moved his left foot back from the squatting position. The ground rumbled and the earth in front of him formed the shape of steps leading downwards.

 He turned back to Nora with an ear-splitting grin. “Now tell me you love me,” he commented, eyes wide.

Nora rolled hers in response and gestured to the six parents. “Alright ladies and gentlemen, let’s get this train a-rollin’!”

* * *

Ten minutes into the trek, and absolutely nothing of note had occurred. Nora grew increasingly worried with each passing second. The tunnel was thankfully both wide and tall, and everyone was able to move comfortably forward. The ground was paved flat with dirt that gave a little to each step, and was fairly comfortable. Yet Nora’s unease rose.

One of the fathers, a plump man named Tien, was leading the way with his firebending lighting the way. Two of the mothers had gotten back into some light-hearted conversation. The third, an Earth Army veteran named Pina, hung back with Nora and Dao.

“This feels wrong,” Pina muttered, vocalizing the thought her companions had been quietly contemplating.

“But we’re heading in the right direction,” her husband Fung replied, son in his arms. “I know the city like the back of my hand, we’ll make it to the tram station in seven minutes, tops.”

“No,” Dao refuted. “She’s right. Something’s off.” His eyes tightened as he assessed the situation, before they widened. “EVERYBODY GET DOWN!”

They felt it before they heard it. A rumbling blast from the left, right and above shot rocks and rubble in every direction. Nora had sprung into action in a blink of an eye, the circular motions of her arms bending a thick bubble of air around the convoy, pushing aside any foreign objects that came their way.

Through the smoke and clouds of the explosion, figures could be seen converging on their location, various elements emerging from source of the explosions. Pina had quickly begun firing back with boulders of her own, compressed rocks shooting into the clearings. The White Lotus guard was on the defensive, going through katas to reassemble the walls that were just obliterated. They wouldn’t hold for long, but any hold was better than none.

Tien at the front had taken to blindly kicking lines of fire along the floor of the tunnel hoping to burn the feet of anyone trying to get to them. He finished off a sweep that lit the room like the sun and, for a brief second, the members of the White Lotus convoy saw the numbers they were up against. There were easily a dozen attackers, all donning brown nondescript outfits that hid all important identifying features. The color of their suits made for an easy blend with the earthen nature of the tunnel, and Nora could only assume that this course of action was very clearly premeditated.  _If we hadn’t left when we did, they would’ve taken us completely by surprise ,_ Nora thought. She made a note to thank Dao later.

The firebender leading the group made a note himself. “Everybody follow me!” Tien yelled, as he started moving against the lead group of attackers in the front.

As Dao and Pina began defending the flanks, Tien with assistance from Nora had cleared their path with a rather volatile mix of fire and airbending. “Get going!” Dao yelled. “We’ll cover your six.”

“You heard the man, go!” Nora yelled, and the rest broke into a dead sprint, personal effects completely abandoned. For several minutes they ran, not daring to look behind them. As Tien began to slow down, the airbending master pushed him back to speed with a gust of wind. They kept at it for a minute more before Fung interrupted them with a, “Everyone stop!”

The group slowed, gasping for breath. Fung stepped forward to touch the wall. “Feel that vibration?” he asked.

Everyone kept still and yes, there was a different sort of rumble permeating around them.

“I think that’s the tram,” he murmured.

Fung turned towards Nora. “Hold him please,” he said as he gave his son to the airbender. He rolled his sleeves and began bending an opening into the wall, which gave way to a bright white light.

Tien stepped out first, tentatively glancing around. He turned back, sweat-covered but grinning like a mad fool. “We made it guys!” he exclaimed. Everyone cheered as they stepped out of the hole and onto a platform filled with confused citizens of Omashu.

_ “Tram A leaving Omashu will arrive in three minutes.” _

Nora was keeping watch of the hole whilst waiting, her face showing obvious signs of worry. Fung stepped up to her with an equally concerned face. “Pina hasn’t come back,” he stated.

“Neither has Dao,” Nora replied, gaze not leaving the darkened path that lead them there.  _How could I have ever doubted him?_  With a sigh, she turned to tell Fung something when suddenly there was a loud shriek.

“Nora!”

The airbender turned quickly at the sound of her name, and a wash of relief spread over her. She charged quickly to close the space and grabbed Lyssa in a bearhug.

“Whoa there,” Lyssa chuckled. “let’s calm down just a hair.”

Nora put the doctor down with a grin. She glanced over Lyssa’s shoulder and nodded at the nervous families standing there. “You’re the first good sight I’ve seen since you called.”

Lyssa bit her lip and looked at the gaping dirt entrance in the wall. “I take it that was your doing? Is everyone safe?”

“Yes and no,” Nora responded. “We were ambushed in that maintenance tunnel. One of the mothers and Dao are still down there fighting.”

“Wait, Dao?” The doctor looked puzzled. “You TOLD him?”

“I  _trust_  him,” Nora corrected. “And he saved our asses several times over in the past half hour or so. You owe him. I owe him.”

 _I owe him._ Nora looked back towards the dark tunnel. She remembered the stirring in her chest from earlier in the day. It was now a sinking sensation. Nora turned back to Lyssa. “Lyssa, this is Fung. Fung, Lyssa. This kind woman is going to be taking you to a safe place, so please introduce her to the group and follow every order she gives.”

With that said, Nora turned back and started walking back in the direction they came.

“What are you doing?!” Fung yelled in the distance.

“I’m getting our loved ones back!” Nora yelled back without turning. She stopped at the entrance of the tunnel, and took a deep breath. With a flowing movement of her arms, an air wheel formed around Nora, which she jumped into. The wheel began turning and she was gone back into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That ended up being a lot longer than I had planned! Enough that it kinda throws off the chapter plan that I had set up. Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this admittedly OC-heavy fic and if you have any questions or comments feel free to drop them! The next chapter of "A Funny Thing..." should be posted tomorrow (Friday).
> 
> And the next chapter of THIS story is tentatively: Battle of the Academy.


End file.
